WORDS: Gillian Crawley PHOTOS: GettySTAVING OFF DEMENTIA
Fear of developing dementia
in old age grips many of us,
with a survey finding that
56 per cent of people worry
more about declining brain
and mind health than serious
physical health problems.
The reasons for dementia are
complex, with age being the
biggest risk factor. But studies
have shown that you can
significantly reduce the risk of
getting vascular dementia, the
second most common form of
the disease after Alzheimer’s,
with simple lifestyle changes.
Vascular dementia, which
affects about 150,000 people in
the UK, is caused by reduced
blood supply to the brain due to
diseased blood vessels. High
blood pressure, high cholesterol,
obesity, diabetes, and smoking
significantly increase the risk of
dementia later on.
Fortunately, knowing this
means we can take realistic
steps in order to reduce risk.But while medical treatments
such as blood pressure
medications and statins to lower
cholesterol are valuable tools,
doctors say there is no substitute
for a healthy lifestyle.
“There have been some
big studies that demonstrate
that if people maintain a certain
level of exercise – 20 minutes’
aerobic exercise three times a
week – we can, as a population,
cut the risk by about a third,”
says Re:Cognition Health’s
Dr MacSweeney.
“All the things that maintain
good blood pressure – exercise,
a sensible diet, drinking in
moderation, not smoking – are
vital, as high blood pressure is
one of the biggest risk factors
for vascular dementia.
“So you have to look after your
brain in the same way you do
your heart. There’s increasing
evidence that you can make
a difference in terms of your
mental agility as a population by
paying attention to these things.”HEALTH
Our brains: the facts
● The human brain weighs about 3lbs
● It is made from almost 60 per cent fat
● There are around 86 billion nerve
cells connected by trillions of synapses
that generate electrical or chemical
impulses
● When we talk about grey matter we
mean cell bodies, while white matter
is made up of nerve fibres
● The brain is divided into four main areas- the prefrontal cortex, which controls
higher cognition, the hippocampus for
learning and memory, the amygdala,
responsible for emotions, and the
anterior cingulate cortex, which is
responsible for impulse control.
of which should be oily) a week, and only
28 per cent of people ate the recommended
five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
“These nutrients are essential for not
only building brain development in children,
but maintaining brain health in adulthood,”
says Dr Jenkins. “An answer could be
food supplements.”
If you’re stuck for healthy eating inspo,
head to thedoctorskitchen.com for an array
of simple, healthy recipes.
GIVE YOUR BRAIN A WORKOUT
Just as your body gets flabby if
you dodge the gym, your brain
gets sluggish if you don’t give it
enough to do.
A big problem today is our
reliance on smartphones.
Whereas our parents carried
lots of phone numbers in their
heads, if we lose our phones we
are often lost too – because of
our reliance on apps.
“If you’re dependent on your
smartphone for remembering
every date and phone number,
then you will lose the ability to
be able to remember things in
general – not completely, but
you will be less mentally
agile,” warns Dr Emer
MacSweeney, CEO and
medical director of
Re:Cognition Health, which
specialises in the diagnosis,
treatment and care of people
with Alzheimer’s and other
cognitive impairment.
The Neubria survey found
65 per cent of people do
Sudoku or crosswords in the
hope of exercising their brains,but Dr MacSweeney says
learning new things – particularly
something difficult like a
language or an instrument – is
even better. Language skills also
mean you are forced to talk to
people – another plus. “By
having conversations, we are
challenging our brains,” she says.
And with most of us stuck
indoors, it’s an opportunity to
give a fun language-learning
app like Babbel or Duolingo a
go. Or try Yousician if you fancy
unearthing your inner pianist or
learning to sing like Mariah!